A Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to Melbourne was met by firefighters after smoke was seen coming from a vape on board.

Flight VA 328 landed safely and all passengers disembarked normally after a vape “activated” in the cabin shortly before landing at about 4pm on Sunday afternoon in Melbourne, Melbourne airport said.

A passenger is understood to have alerted the crew when vapour and smoke was seen coming from the device. The crew then commenced the process of containing the unit.

The Boeing 737’s pilots had declared a “pan”, a Melbourne airport spokesperson said. Pan calls are used to signify a situation less urgent than a mayday but which still requires an aircraft to receive expedited arrival.

Firefighters followed the aircraft to the gate as a precaution and removed the device from the plane.

A Virgin Australia spokesperson said the safety of the airline’s guests and crew was its “highest priority, and we thank our crew for their swift response in containing the device”.

Vapes contain small lithium batteries which can spark fires when damaged or overheating, known as “thermal runaway”.

According to Virgin Australia’s website, vapes and e-cigarettes are termed portable electronic devices and must be held in carry-on luggage only.

In July, a power bank ignited in a backpack in an overhead locker on board a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Hobart. The incident triggered a change in the airline’s safety policy, with power banks now only stowable in the seat pocket, under the seat in front or in people’s hands.

It is understood all Virgin aircraft carry equipment on board to suppress fire damage from lithium batteries in thermal runaway.

Dr Adam Best, who specialises in advanced lithium battery technologies at the CSIRO, said vape batteries are far more prone to failure than those in power banks.

“The quality of the batteries that are used in these devices are typically far worse than what we see in power banks,” he said, given most vapes are designed to be disposable.

Many vapes do not include safety features that “lock out” the unit in case of damage and are made in factories that are not highly regulated, he said. While many vapes are inhale-activated, some have a power switch that could be accidentally switched on.

Any fault in the unit, from earlier damage or in the manufacturing process, could lead to instantaneous high temperatures, fire, toxic gas release or, in the worst case, explosion, he said.